A campaign has been launched in San Jose to gather
support for a proposal to regulate foreign tuna seine-fishing within 370
nautical miles of Costa Rican maritime territory. Currently around 90 percent of
the country’s tuna is landed in international ports.

The National Federation of the Fishing Sector
(FENAPES) and the Costa Rican Fisheries Federation (FECOP) will collect
signatures as proof that there is a backing of the proposals. The campaign calls the government to issue a six
year moratorium allowing artisanal fishermen to work without direct competition
from industrial seine fleets within the Costa Rican EEZ. FENAPES and FECOP representatives said the proposal
would be a first step in promoting sustainable tuna fishing aimed at recovering
marine resources in Costa Rica’s Pacific waters. The regulations are also said to have the potential
to help around 15,000 Costa Rican families that depend on artisanal fishing for
their income.